Page 95 of The Debutantes
Yes, I want you to help me.
Yes, I might want something else, too, and Vivian might have been right with her stupidPride and Prejudicecrap, and—
“Vivian and April,” I blurt as soon as the thought crosses my mind, snapping out of the spell. “I need to find them, and then—”
Before I can even finish my sentence, my phone buzzes. April. I pick it up before it even makes it through one ring.
“Way to disappear when I need you,” I snap, and then, overwhelmed suddenly by relief, “You’re okay?”
“Yeah,” she says. “You?”
“Yes. I’m with Aiden. Where are you?”
Mercifully, she doesn’t make anyPride and Prejudicejokes.
“Renee just dropped me off at home,” she says quickly, and for the first time, I pick up on the change in her voice. She’s breathless, wired. “Can we meet up? I think I might have figured out something big.”
“What?”
She hesitates. “I think we should talk in person. Just to be safe. But… I know who the Rougarou is.”
“Shit. Yeah, okay. I’ll pick you up.”
“Have you heard from Vivian?”
“No, I tried to call y’all, but—”
Right on cue, my phone buzzes again. I look down at the screen.
“Speak of the devil,” I say.
I open our group chat, and my heart nearly stops when I see Vivian’s text.
Meet me at the Den. I know where Lily is.
“Holy shit,” I say.
“Holy shit,” April echoes.
“What is it?” Aiden asks.
I’d almost forgotten he was here—which should be a relief to the part of me that was having some pretty ridiculous thoughts about two minutes ago. I want to tell him, but for some reason, I can’t make the words come out. Aiden wants to help. I know he does. But this is all coming together so fast, a head rush of information, and something taps at my brain, a little worry trying to get in: something’s wrong here. And I know, with sharp certainty, that I can’t drag him into this. This isn’t his mess, even if he wants it to be. It’s not his family that’s wrapped up in it.
“I’ll pick you up in ten, okay?” I tell April.
“Okay.”
She hangs up, and I turn to Aiden.
“I have to go meet April and Vivian.”
“What’s going on? Do you need me to—”
“We’ll be fine, I promise.”
Aiden watches me. I can tell he doesn’t believe me, just as much as he can tell I’ve made up my mind.
“Can you trust me?” I ask.
